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How apps like Snapchat are rewriting the rules of sport

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How apps like Snapchat are rewriting the rules of sport

Last November, New York-based sports and media company IMG issued its annual Digital Trends Report, which explores the technologies and developments likely to shape the sports media landscape over the following 12 months.
“The power of sports and creators, combined with social media, is a big opportunity to grab,” says Ellie Hooper, head of client at Goat. “We know that the power of influencer marketing comes from the voice of the creator which people have chosen to trust.
WBD’s multi-regional coverage of the Olympics saw it offer not just official highlights but also double down on exclusive behind-the-scenes content, wacky must-see moments and a focus on the “showbiz side of the games” from the perspective of athletes, celebrities and fans.
Gen Z and younger viewers are using social media to interact with their teams
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There’s this myth that younger audiences are not interested in sports. That belief has now been debunked. Younger viewers are just consuming sports content in a different way.

“
There’s this myth that younger audiences are not interested in sports. That belief has now been debunked. Younger viewers are just consuming sports content in a different way.

With almost 4.9 billion people – 60% of the global population – owning sophisticated cell phones enabling instant access to the internet and social media apps, the living room TV no longer dominates the way in which viewers engage with that weekend’s big Premier League match or mass audience events like the Olympics.
The enhancement also gave Channel 4’s advertising partners an opportunity to reach sports fans, with commercial branding in and around what users see onscreen.
“Snapchat is in the business of making money, so we have to monetise our content,” he tells C21. “We serve video ads in there and we revenue share with our partners, whether that’s publishers or creators.
“
“The power of sports and creators, combined with social media, is a big opportunity to grab. We know that the power of influencer marketing comes from the voice of the creator which people have chosen to trust.
As social media apps transform how audiences consume sports content, C21 examines how Snapchat works with broadcasters, rights holders, brands and creators to monetise this paradigm shift.

“In the sports industry, there’s always the challenge of its historical need for immediate money in the bank, but the longer-term play is to think of it more as building enduring relationships with audiences. Once you make a Snapchat user a fan of golf or whatever, they’re going to be lifelong fans.

“Adam Hill playing with the AR lenses was an amazing moment of linear TV royalty and social media innovation coming together,” Harbinson tells C21. “That gamification element really took off and we had five million users during the games. We see Snapchat more and more not just as a broadcast platform but as a community builder.
With the all-too-familiar media mantra of ‘adapt or die’ ringing in the ears of legacy media execs, now is the time to harness the power of social media and shortform content before millions more viewers continue the inexorable migration away from terrestrial TV and streaming, never to return.
Those combined factors make Snapchat an attractive partner for agencies looking to bring brands, creators and influencers to the table.
During 2022, more than 285 million Snapchatters used its FIFA World Cup AR lenses so they could see themselves in the official shirts of their favourite national football team.
Before we drill into the ways in which Snap leverages and monetises that engagement with Gen Z, let’s first look at some research that helps to contextualise the rapidly shifting area of sports content consumption.

The same survey by Snap indicates that 55% of respondents believe that the way we consume sports has evolved drastically over the past decade. While older die-hard sports fans are fiercely loyal to just one team or favourite athlete, younger social-savvy consumers are less exclusive and more likely to find their way into sports through adjacent cultures, such as fashion, influencers, creators and brands.

Last summer, Channel 4 debuted ‘Snap-first’ programming from the Paralympics on the platform. The partnership aligned with the broadcaster’s Future4 strategy to prioritise digital growth over linear ratings. Content was delivered by Channel 4’s Leeds-based digital-focused 4Studio, while Snapchat and the pubcaster’s commercial team, 4Sales, shared sales rights on the shows.
With such exhaustive coverage of the summer’s major sporting spectacles on Snapchat, it’s no surprise that 65% of Gen Z users say that their interest in sports has grown in the past year.
This article is based in part on interviews and sessions from Content London 2024.

Snap’s Summer of Sports campaign also saw broadcasters such as NBCUniversal (NBCU) and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) make highlights from their Olympics and Paralympics coverage available through the platform. Arcadia, Snapchat’s AR Studio, partnered with NBCU to offer AR experiences to Snapchatters. The tie-in also offered real-time stats and introduced users to Team USA athletes and their Bitmojis (personalised Snapchat emojis).
Macaulay says that Snapchat offers both short- and long-term return on investment for producers, broadcasters, brands and creators.
There are two different types. The first, facial lenses, have technology that allows transformation of the user’s face. They can enable Snapchatters to engage with brands by ‘trying on’ make-up, jewellery and clothes. The second, world lenses, appear on the external camera and enable users to interact with 3D objects superimposed on the environment around them. They also allow product features to be displayed through the camera.
Luke Whalley
Senior director of international digital ad sales
WBD Sports Europe
Joe Harbinson
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If you’re a sports industry executive reading this and becoming equal parts excited and terrified, great. This is the correct response.

“The sports industry knows it cannot fight against this audience trend, so in 2025 it will start to adapt to it – or it will lose ground to other forms of entertainment which do.”

“Sports dominate the big screen, but our phones dominate our attention. The trend we will see in 2025 is for sports to abandon the notion of ‘first screen’ and ‘second screen’ and put more emphasis into winning the battle for both screens at the same time.
“The Snapchat sports experience is very different to other platforms,” says Snap’s Macaulay. “There’s a much more fluid fandom around athletes, personalities, style and fashion that comes to life on the platform.

The report says: “Nothing is more sought-after by broadcasters than sports rights, but televisions are no longer anyone’s primary viewing platform. Smartphones have that crown.
Joe Harbinson
Distribution and partnerships senior lead
Channel 4
During 2024, Snap ramped up partnerships with broadcasters and sports organisations to optimise a year packed full of major events, including the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Paris, as well as the UEFA European Football Championship, hosted by Germany.
“That [strategy] means putting content where viewers want to see it and tailoring it to the audiences on those platforms. Our Paralympics coverage was a great example of how we did this.
Rak Patel this month starts his new role as Channel 4’s chief commercial officer. Heading the sales division, one of his key challenges is to expand into new areas of digital growth. Harbinson believes leveraging the power of social media apps like Snapchat, combined with branded content initiatives, will help the pubcaster diversify its revenue streams.
“There are brands now acting as commissioners and going out there to engage with production companies. Bringing brilliant UK creative talent to brands is a very authentic way to bring content to social channels and online platforms.”

Lewis Wiltshire

“Our partnership with Snapchat complements the storytelling on our own platforms, helping to connect millions of new fans with inspiring athletes, unmissable sporting moments and exclusive behind-the-scenes content that we know audiences new and old love.”
Technology is revolutionising sports, but we’re not talking about soccer’s highly divisive Video Assisted Refereeing, or the Hawk-Eye computer vision system commonly used in tennis and cricket. Instead, the smart phone is transforming the way in which audiences consume sports content.
Kahlen Macaulay
As part of Channel 4’s 2024 Paralympics coverage, the broadcaster’s Snapchat profile used the feature to let users try out multiple events through the AR lenses, with venues and sporting equipment overlaid on to the real world. Adam Hills, host of C4 chatshow The Last Leg, joined in the fun by trying his hand at disciplines such as archery and athletics.
Luke Whalley
The IMG report indicates they face a battle to command viewer focus, as audiences become more preoccupied with consuming shortform sports content on social media platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
Founded in 2015, London-based The Goat Agency claims to be the world’s leading influencer marketing agency, delivering social-first marketing strategies and data-driven influencer campaigns for clients including UEFA, Formula E and Major League Baseball.
UK commercial pubcaster Channel 4 has been a close collaborator with Snap since 2018, when it was launched shows on Discover, Snapchat’s curated content platform. Shortform clips of Channel 4’s most popular programmes such as First Dates, Married at First Sight UK and Hollyoaks were made available via the platform.

“We have a dedicated social sales team, which is out there landing TV inventory deals, and that has now been folded under our streaming division, so we’re now selling linear, streaming and social ads as one package,” Harbinson says. “It’s become a full service.

“We have a really holistic way of working with all social platforms, Snapchat included,” says Joe Harbinson, distribution and partnerships senior lead at Channel 4. “Our Fast Forward strategy is supercharging our digital transformation on the way to becoming a digital-first streamer. By 2030, it’s our goal for half of our revenues to be from digital and we’re well on target for that.
“With Snap specifically, we wanted to make sure we did something quite different, which led to bringing our viewers and Snapchatters into the Paralympics with a very Channel 4 project using AR lenses.”

According to Snapchat’s Macaulay, a certain degree of complacency has contributed to the sports industry being somewhat slow to catch on to the trend for shortform.
Ellie Hooper
Beyond the Olympics, a weekly sports show was launched on Snapchat, localised for France and the UK, which showcases the best sporting content from the WBD portfolio including the biggest tennis, football and combat sports competitions.
It predicted that the household TV set will lose its crown to smartphones as the first screen through which viewers will consume sports content in 2025. The report suggests viewers’ phones will instead dominate their attention – a forecast that will come as bad news to the broadcast and streaming giants that are spending billions on securing live sports rights.
Lewis Wiltshire
Senior VP and managing director, digital
IMG
“Next to that we have an effective sponsorship partnership and branded content team under Four Studio, which is working closely with creatives and agencies.

Kahlen Macaulay
Senior manager of international sports partnerships
Snap Inc

“Brands understand the lifetime value of fans and consumers. That philosophy creates revenue opportunities far into the future.”
Tapping into this paradigm shift can be daunting for broadcasters and producers from the legacy TV industry, but the rewards are potentially lucrative. By working with social media platforms, brands and creators, TV executives can tap directly into one of the most evasive demographics in the entertainment business.
“
Our partnership with Snapchat complements the storytelling on our own platforms, helping to connect millions of new fans with inspiring athletes, unmissable sporting moments and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
Now, the proliferation of social media apps and video-sharing platforms means that they have become less of a temporary distraction and more of a first-choice portal for viewers who want to engage with their favourite athletes and teams.

“Shortform content is now a primary way that many fans engage with sports, and rights holders must tap into its media and sponsorship value,” says Daniel Kirschner, co-founder and CEO of LA-headquartered Greenfly, a provider of shortform media software platforms for over 500 sports teams and 40 leagues around the world.
“If you’re a sports industry executive reading this and becoming equal parts excited and terrified, great. This is the correct response,” says Lewis Wiltshire, senior VP and managing director, digital, at IMG.
“There’s direct monetisation through our revenue share programmes, then there’s the brand pieces where you can bring commercial partners into content and monetise that.
“So, there’s a standard format that exists which is obviously more lucrative in different markets, depending on where our footprint is. For example, we’re absolutely massive in France, while in the UK 22 million people use the app. That’s a huge opportunity.
“In terms of content, the Snapchat app opens directly into a camera – encouraging users to create content. So it’s set up for creatives.”
“We work with organisations such as the International Olympic Committee, the Union of European Football Associations [UEFA] and the International Paralympic Committee to help them reach our young audience.
“There’s this myth that younger audiences are not interested in sports,” says Kahlen Macaulay, senior manager of international sports partnerships at US-based Snap Inc, parent company of social media app Snapchat. “That belief has now been debunked. Younger viewers are just consuming sports content in a different way, on their own terms as opposed to sitting down and watching a full two- or three-hour live sports broadcast. They’re instead consuming sports via shortform content.

“
With Snap specifically, we wanted to make sure we did something quite different, which led to bringing our viewers and Snapchatters into the Paralympics with a very Channel 4 project using AR lenses.

“Traditionally, sport hasn’t had to evolve and be progressive because they already sell out the seating and tickets as well as the sponsorship and broadcast rights, so why should they care?” he says. “Historically, sport has extracted value in the immediacy without forming relationships. But there are many more valuable and long-term revenue opportunities.”
“He got around 76 million views on social media while combined content from the actual PGA tour only got a million,” says Hooper. “That’s the power of influencers.”
By way of example, Hooper points to Bryson DeChambeau, who has been labelled “the MrBeast of golf,” due to his popularity on social media. The two-time Majors winner has almost 1.7 million subscribers on YouTube and went viral recently while attempting to make a hole-in-one by whacking a ball over the roof of his house into the back yard.
“There’s a paradigm shift in viewing habits right now and the way that Snap is leaning into that is unique.”
Ellie Hooper
Head of client
Goat
Luke Whalley, senior director of international digital ad sales at WBD Sports Europe, says: “Our all-platform approach to distributing world-class coverage of the biggest events in the sporting calendar and telling the stories of the athletes competing is how we engage the widest possible international audience.

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Mason Bendinger’s big week earns him Big South Co-Player of the Week – University of South Carolina

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December 9, 2025

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Coming off a 2-0 week for Upstate Men’s Basketball, the Big South Conference announced weekly awards where the Spartans were featured with Mason Bendinger being announced as the Big South Co-Player of the Week. 

The Junior from Salt Lake City, Utah averaged 21.0 points through both games played through the week of Dec. 1- Dec. 6 where he added his career-high of 27 points shooting 7-for-16 from the field and a career-high of 12 made free throws in the overtime win against Coastal Carolina. Bendinger’s three-pointer and layup under the 10-minute mark nearly exploded the roof off the G.B. Hodge Center helping the Spartans tie the game against the Chants with the momentum ultimately carrying Upstate through the second half and finishing the job in overtime. Bendinger followed up with a 15-point performance in Saturday’s win against Western Carolina shooting 5-for-9 from the field, 5-for-7 from the charity stripe, added a season-high of six rebounds and one block. Mason Bendinger is currently ranked #7 in the Big South, averaging 16.1 points per game while being ranked #15 in the NCAA with 70 field goals scored. Through 11 games played, Bendinger has scored in double figures through 10 games played while adding three 20+ point performances and six 15+ point performances. Bendinger has continued to become more accustomed to Division I Basketball along with finding his footing in the Marty Richter system with three-level scoring that he provides on a nightly basis. This marks the first weekly honor for Bendinger as he continues to grow with Upstate.  

Connect with the Spartans                

Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics                

Twitter | @UpstateMBB | @UpstateSpartans                

Instagram | @Upstate_MBB | @UpstateSpartans                

YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans               

INVEST IN CHAMPIONS – Join the Upstate Athletic Fund (UAF) and enjoy enhanced benefits for your support of all USC Upstate programs! Make your gift today, click here! 



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NCAA Women’s Div I Volleyball Tournament Glance

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2 hours ago

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December 9, 2025

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2025 NCAA Women’s Div I Volleyball Tournament Glance All Times EST First Round Thursday, Dec. 4 No. 4 Colorado def.…

2025 NCAA Women’s Div I Volleyball Tournament Glance All Times EST

First Round

Thursday, Dec. 4

No. 4 Colorado def. American, 25-16, 25-19, 25-16

No. 4 Kansas def. High Point, 25-20, 25-15, 25-18

No. 6 Baylor def. Arkansas St., 23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 23-25, 15-10

No. 5 Miami (FL) def. Tulsa, 25-22, 13-25, 25-22, 25-20

No. 4 Indiana def. Toledo, 25-18, 25-15, 25-17

North Carolina def. No. 6 UTEP, 24-26, 25-11, 25-18, 25-21

No. 8 UCLA def. Georgia Tech, 24-26, 25-19, 23-25, 25-18, 25-10

No. 6 N. Iowa def. Utah, 15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10

Utah St. def. No. 7 Tennessee, 25-19, 25-15, 20-25, 18-25, 15-11

No. 3 Purdue def. Wright St., 25-13, 25-21, 25-19

No. 1 Kentucky def. Wofford, 25-11, 25-19, 25-12

Cal Poly def. No. 5 BYU, 25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-10

No. 3 Creighton def. Northern Colorado, 25-12, 23-25, 23-25, 25-17, 15-8

No. 2 Arizona St. def. Coppin St., 25-11, 25-14, 25-12

No. 4 Southern Cal def. Princeton, 25-19, 25-12, 25-13

No. 3 Wisconsin def. Eastern Ill., 25-11, 25-6, 25-19

Friday, Dec. 5

Marquette def. No. 7 W. Kentucky, 25-22, 25-21, 25-16

Michigan def. No. 8 Xavier, 25-19, 25-15, 25-23

Kansas St. def. No. 8 San Diego vs., 21-25, 25-17, 26-28, 25-22, 15-12

No. 6 TCU def. Steven F. Austin St., 25-8, 26-24, 25-20

Florida def. No. 7 Rice, 27-25, 25-23, 25-19

No. 5 Iowa St. def. St. Thomas (Minn.), 21-25, 25-13, 25-16, 21-25, 15-8

No. 8 Penn St. def. South Florida, 25-23, 12-25, 25-21, 25-19

No. 1 Pittsburgh def. UMBC, 25-10, 25-17, 25-13

No. 2 Louisville def. Loyola Chicago, 25-17, 25-9, 25-12

No. 2 SMU def. Cent. Arkansas, 25-13, 25-13, 25-13

No. 3 Texas A&M def. Campbell, 25-17, 25-9, 25-12

Arizona def. No. 7 South Dakota St., 25-21, 22-25, 25-15, 25-15

No. 1 Nebraska def. LIU, 25-11, 25-15, 25-17

No. 1 Texas def. Florida A&M, 25-11, 25-8, 25-14

No. 4 Minnesota def. Fairfield, 25-12, 25-7, 25-13

No. 2 Stanford def. Utah Valley, 21-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-14

Second Round

Friday, Dec. 5

No. 3 Purdue def. No. 6 Baylor, 25-16, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20

No. 4 Indiana def. No. 5 Colorado, 25-20, 25-17, 25-13

No. 1 Kentucky def. No. 8 UCLA, 30-25, 25-16, 28-30, 25-17

No. 4 Kansas def. No. 5 Miami, 25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 27-25

No. 3 Creighton def. N. Iowa, 25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21

No. 2 Arizona St. def. Utah St., 25-15, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15

No. 3 Wisconsin def. North Carolina, 25-14, 25-21, 27-25

Cal Poly def. No. 4 Southern Cal, 25-19, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25, 15-7

Saturday, Dec. 6

No. 2 Louisville def. Marquette, 21-15, 25-11, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12

No. 1 Pittsburgh def. Michigan, 25-23, 25-23, 25-18

No. 1 Texas def. No. 8 Penn St., 25-16, 25-9, 25-19

No. 1 Nebraska def. Kansas St., 25-17, 25-21, 25-16

No. 2 SMU def. Florida, 25-11, 25-21, 26-24

No. 3 Texas A&M def. TCU, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 29-27

No. 4 Minnesota def. No. 5 Iowa St., 25-22, 25-21, 25-14

No. 2 Stanford def. Arizona, 25-16, 25-27, 25-17, 25-20

Third Round

Thursday, Dec. 11

No. 2 Arizona State vs. No. 3 Creighton, 1 p.m.

No. 1 Kentucky vs. Cal Poly, 3:30 p.m.

No. 1 Pittsburgh vs. No. 4 Minnesota, 7 p.m.

No. 2 SMU vs. No. 3 Purdue, 9:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 12

No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Indiana, noon

No. 2 Stanford vs. No. 3 Wisconsin, 2:30 p.m.

No. 2 Louisville vs. No. 3 Texas A&M, 7 p.m.

No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 4 Kansas, 9:30 p.m.

Copyright
© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.



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Info on Purdue Volleyball’s Regional Semifinal Match vs. SMU Released

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December 9, 2025

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For a third consecutive year, Purdue’s volleyball team is headed to the Regional Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers defeated Wright State in the opening round and took down Baylor in the second round to advance to college volleyball’s Sweet 16, where they’ll face a familiar foe.

No. 3 seed Purdue will travel to Pittsburgh to play No. 2 seed SMU on Thursday, Dec. 11. The two teams played earlier this season in Lexington, Ky., with the Boilers pulling out a 3-1 victory over the Mustangs. The winner of the match will play the winner of No. 1 Pitt and No. 4 Minnesota, with a trip to the National Semifinals hanging in the balance.

Purdue’s match against SMU will be the second matchup of the night in Pittsburhg. Host Pitt will play Minnesota at 7 p.m. ET, with the Boilermakers and Mustangs scheduled to play 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match.

Both matches will air on ESPN2.

Here’s a look at what you need to know for Thursday’s match between Purdue and SMU.

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Dave Shondell looks up to watch a replay

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Dave Shondell looks up to watch a replay | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How to watch No. 3 Purdue vs. No. 2 SMU

  • What: NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal Round
  • Who: #3 Purdue (26-6) vs. #2 SMU (27-5)
  • When: Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025
  • Where: Fitzgerald Field House in Pittsburgh, Pa. (4,122 capacity)
  • Time: 30 minutes after conclusion of Pitt-Minnesota match (approx. 9 p.m. ET)
  • TV: ESPN2

Purdue beats SMU earlier this year

Thursday night’s matchup between No. 3 Purdue and No. 2 SMU will be the second time the two teams have met on the volleyball court this season. The two squads also played in Lexington on Sept. 14, just a few weeks into the 2025 season.

Ranked No. 14 at the time, that was Purdue’s biggest win of the season to that point, taking down an SMU team that was ranked No. 10 nationally. The Boilers had to rally to win that match, too.

The Mustangs took the first set 25-23, but the Boilermakers responded in a big way. The churned out tight victories in the next two sets, defeating SMU 25-22 in the second and 27-25 in the third. Purdue had a convincing 25-18 fourth-set win to close out the match.

While a lot has happened in the three months since they last played, Purdue will carry confidence into this match, knowing it’s capable of beating a team like SMU. The Mustangs, on the other hand, will be looking for revenge against a team that defeated them early in the season.

It should make for a fun postseason matchup on Thursday.

Get top Boilermakers stories, expert analysis, and can’t-miss moments straight to your inbox for free by signing up for the Purdue Boilermakers on SI newsletter!

Related stories on Purdue volleyball

BOILERS BEAT BAYLOR TO ADVANCE: For a third consecutive season, Purdue is headed to the NCAA Regional Semifinal. The Boilermakers punched their ticket with a 3-1 win over Baylor. CLICK HERE

ANDERSON POWERS PURDUE: Senior outside hitter Akasha Anderson had a big night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, powering Purdue to a win over Wright State. CLICK HERE



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Longtime Utah volleyball coach Beth Launiere retires – Deseret News

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December 9, 2025

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Beth Launiere, the longest-tenured volleyball coach in Utah history, has retired, the school announced Monday.

Over 36 years as Utah’s coach, Launiere amassed 689 wins and took Utah to the NCAA tournament 20 times.

With Launiere in charge, the Utes won six Mountain West titles and advanced to the Sweet 16 four times, most recently in 2019.

“After 36 years as the head volleyball coach at the University of Utah, I have made the difficult decision to announce my retirement,” Launiere said in a school press release.

“While it is not easy to walk away from a lifetime’s work, I am ready and excited to begin the next chapter of my life. Thank you to the hundreds of players whom I have had the privilege to coach, and the many assistant coaches, support staff and administrators who were my daily collaborators to build this program into what it is today.

“I will miss the daily interactions, but I know our relationships will last a lifetime. It has been an honor to represent one of the greatest universities in the country. I will forever love Utah and will always be a Ute!”

Utah was ranked in the AVCA Coaches Top 25 poll for 183 weeks under Launiere’s leadership, and the program produced 16 All-Americans.

During her 36-year career at Utah, Launiere was rewarded with three Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year awards and one Pac-12 Coach of the Year award in 2019.

In her final season, Launiere and the Utes made the NCAA Tournament, finishing the season with a 15-15 record with wins over No. 23 BYU and No. 13 Kansas before losing to the University of Northern Iowa in the first round of the NCAAs.

Launiere will leave a lasting legacy as the volleyball program’s greatest coach.

Utah athletic director Mark Harlan wasted no time naming her successor, appointing Alyssa D’Errico as the sixth head coach in program history.

“Alyssa D’Errico is a tremendous identifier of talent and is elite in developing student-athletes and building genuine relationships,” Harlan said. “With her championship pedigree, All-America playing experience, and the three years she has spent at the University of Utah as associate head coach, she is uniquely equipped to take over leadership of our volleyball program.

“I’m thrilled to appoint Alyssa as our new head coach, and excited to see her establish herself as this program’s leader, building on the legacy that Beth Launiere has built.”

D’Errico is a three-year assistant of Launiere’s, joining the program ahead of the 2023 season.

“I want to sincerely thank Mark Harlan, Charmelle Green and Jason Greco for their trust and support in giving me this opportunity to lead Utah volleyball,” said D’Errico in a press release.

“Of course, I also must thank Beth Launiere. I am deeply grateful to Beth for bringing me out here to be a part of this incredible volleyball program and athletic department. Her countless contributions to our sport, her care for the athletes, and the legacy she leaves behind are inspiring — truly leaving the program better than she found it.

“As I step into this role, I am honored and energized to help guide our program into the next era, with new heights in sight and a strong vision for sustained excellence. I look forward to building on our foundation, elevating our competitive standard, and fostering a culture where our student-athletes thrive on and off the court.”

Utah head coach Beth Launiere talks with her players between sets during the NCAA tournament match against Marquette at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News



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Nevada volleyball’s team leaders in kills, assists and digs enter the transfer portal

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December 8, 2025

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The Nevada volleyball team’s leader in kills (Haylee Brown), assists (Audrey Jensen) and digs (Kinsley Singleton) all entered the transfer portal Monday, as reported by College Volleyball Transfers and shared by those players on Instagram.

Brown was an All-Mountain West honorable mention selection in 2025 after transferring to Nevada following two seasons at Georgia Washington. The 6-foot-2 outside hitter from Maricopa, Ariz., hammered 351 kills, which were 165 more than the team’s second most. She led the Wolf Pack with 374 points and added 36 blocks. Brown will have one season of eligibility remaining at her next school.

Jensen was Nevada’s top freshman and starting setter, racking up a team-best 658 assists (391 more than second place) and adding 63 kills, 49 blocks (third on team), 203 digs (second on team) and 26 services aces (second on team). The 6-footer from Parker, Colo., was one of the Mountain West’s top rookies and started a team-high 27 of 28 matches for Nevada, racking up 116 points. She will have three seasons of eligibility remaining at her next school.

Singleton is a 5-4 libero from Phoenix who led Nevada with 361 digs while adding 104 assists. The defensive specialist also had a team-best 28 service aces and was one of Nevada’s top players each of the last two years. She will have two seasons of eligibility remaining at her next school.

Nevada volleyball has struggled with player retention for several seasons and lost stars Gabby McLaughlin and Tehya Maeva to Syracuse last season with McKenna Dressel also transferred to Mississippi State. The Wolf Pack went 8-20 overall and 4-14 in the MW this season, ranking 11th out of 12 schools under second-year head coach Shannon Wyckoff-McNeal.

With the transfer departures, Nevada would retain just one of its top-five players last season in matches started in sophomore-to-be Kamryn Tifft, whose 20 starts were the fourth most on the team.



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Adrian College SID, Mike Prang, Earns Distinguished CSC 30 Under 30 Recognition

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3 hours ago

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December 8, 2025

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GREENWOOD, Ind. — College Sports Communicators announced its 30 Under 30 Class of 2025 on Monday afternoon, naming 30 of the nation’s top collegiate athletic communicators under the age of 30 to its recipient’s list. Landing his name on the list is Adrian College’s own, Mike Prang, who serves as the Sports Information Director, leading the charge for all 53 athletic programs in the department for the last 5+ years.

The annual honor recognizes emerging athletics communications professionals at all levels of college sports in strategic, creative, and digital spaces.

“We are proud to recognize and honor the rising talent and amazing achievements of so many incredible individuals with the latest 30 Under 30 class,” said 2025-26 CSC President Patrick Crawford. “College Sports Communicators, at its core, is an organization that is driven by the strengths, skills and passions of its members. As new communicators join our ranks and begin to build their careers, we are fortunate to take this opportunity to celebrate the best of CSC’s young professionals. This class is representative of both the diversity of our membership and the breadth of our overall community. Congratulations to this year’s honorees.”

The 28-year old from Carol Stream, Illinois attended Loras College in Iowa, where he studied Sport Management, worked as an Athletic Communications student-worker, and played on the varsity Baseball team. Prang graduated in the Fall of 2019 before relocating up to Michigan where he joined the Bulldogs’ Athletic Communications staff shortly after in December 2019.

Mike first began his tenure at Adrian as the Assistant Sports Information Director, where he assisted in athletic communication operations for just over a year before he was promoted to the head Sports Information Director role in March 2021. Since then, Mike has been stewarding the operations of the largest Athletic Department in the nation, overseeing the everyday tasks of covering 53 athletic programs, from graphic design to social media and statistics among other duties.

During his time as a Bulldog, Mike has traveled to four NCAA Division III Frozen Fours and two National Championship games, as well as the 2021 NCAA DIII College World Series. His experience also includes attending three NCAA DIII Baseball Regionals, hosting one Regional, and traveling to a Super Regional. He has hosted four NCAA Men’s Wrestling Regionals—two at Loras and two at Adrian—along with one Women’s Wrestling Regional and two Women’s Wrestling National Championships. Additionally, he traveled to the NCAA DIII Women’s Golf National Championship and has hosted six NCAA DIII Tournament Hockey games. His work has taken him to a Men’s Rugby National Championship, an NCAA DIII Track & Field Championship, and three NCAA Tournament Men’s Basketball games, including two at Loras and one for Adrian. He also served as the official scorer for the 2019 NCAA DIII Women’s Volleyball National Championship (Final 8) and has covered two Bass Fishing National Championships. Mike has also been around for three ACHA Hockey National Championship victories at Adrian.

Mike handled the redesign of the adrianbulldogs.com website in 2021, reshaping the image of the department online. In addition, he has helped grow the department’s social media following, increasing the Instagram follower count by 6,000+, the Twitter follower count by 4,000+, and the Facebook follower count by roughly 3,500+ in just over five years. As the lead point of media contact for the department, Mike also works with local media outlets to promote Adrian Athletics through television and radio, including the likes of Adrian College TV, BCSN, 96.5 The Cave, and more.

“I’m truly honored to receive the CSC 30 Under 30 Award. This recognition reinforces my commitment to growing within the profession,” said Prang. “Working with 53 athletic teams at Adrian College has been both challenging and incredibly rewarding. The success of our teams and student-athletes, along with the relationships I’ve built with them, continues to motivate me every day. Thank you so much to those who nominated me for the award, and to those who have helped me grow into the SID that I am today. I can’t take all the credit for this honor. I’m incredibly thankful for every member of the Adrian College Sports Information staff, past and present. To our student workers and interns, thank you for all you do. I couldn’t do my job the same without you.”

To bolster his resume, Mike is a two-time D3SIDA Regional SID of the Year nominee and an active member of the College Sports Communicators Young Professionals Committee (YPC), where he also serves on the YPC Programming Subcommittee. In the summer of 2024, he was selected as a speaker for the CSC U-Summit. Additionally, he contributes to institutional recognition efforts as a member of the Adrian College Athletic Hall of Fame Committee.

“I’m excited to keep growing Adrian College Athletics and to continue sharing the stories and promoting the amazing teams and student-athletes who proudly call themselves Bulldogs,” added the newest 30 Under 30 recipient.

Adrian College congratulates Mike Prang on this prestigious honor and extends their gratitude for everything Mike continues to do for the Athletic Department. He will be honored at the 2026 CSC Convention in Las Vegas next summer.



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